Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1)

by Mills, Charelle

  “Where’s Chaz?” I asked as soon as we stepped inside. Ky had a worried look on her face, she knew me well enough to know that I was fuming and this wasn’t about to go well.

  “I don’t know he wasn’t here when we got here.”

  “Get the fuck out.” I said calmly but stern.

  All four of them simultaneously turned around to look at me as if they all had the same thought at exactly the same time.

  “My bad bruh.” One of them said and then eyed Kya first and then me. “You trynna get your creep on, I can respect that. We’ll be out in a minute, this games almost done.”

  Did this dumb ass just dismiss me I pulled my lanyard out of my pocket and handed it to Ky so that she could unlock my bedroom door, which she took without question and moved toward it. I dropped our bags on the floor and made my way to the TV, shut it off and then crossed my arms over my chest.

  “You obviously didn’t hear me so let me be more clear, Get….the fuck…. out.”

  “Chill bruh it's not that serious.” I glared at him hoping that this idiot was stupid enough to try me. Tonight was not the night. I didn't say a word knowing that my expression should have been enough for anyone with half a brain to understand that I meant business. He starred back as if trying to decide whether or not he wanted to try me. The other three began collecting the trash that they had conveniently left all over the living room after throwing out a few vague meaningless apologies for invading my space while they talked amongst themselves electing to steer clear of me.

  The idiot on the other hand elected to take a different approach. “I’ll be the bigger man and let you and your little sideline handle something’s, she looks like she’s...” Without a second thought my fist found his face. Right at the corner of his jaw causing his body to turn sideways from the surprise impact. I was pretty sure that he had not expected me to hit him, he'll I didn't expect to hit him but something about the look on his face when he was referring to Ky just struck a nerve with me.

  He quickly recovered and came at me swinging with force and he landed a blow right into the side of my head that immediately caused my temple to throb. I grabbed him and threw him to the floor and began swinging on him. I had his shirt balled up in my fist around his collar with my knee in his chest holding him in place. I just kept swinging not really conscious of the damage that I was doing until I heard Kya calling my name which I' almost certain that she had done several times before I eventually heard her.

  I backed away and he scrambled to get to his feet daring to look back at me and before he pulled the door open he threw out an idle threat. “You got that but watch yourself.”

  “What happened?” Ky whispered clearly shaken by what she had just witnessed. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen my fight before, she had plenty of times but something about this one had made her uneasy. I could tell that she was afraid, not for herself because she knew that I had her but afraid for me. She took his words seriously even if I hadn't. I could hold my own and didn't scare easily so I wrote it off without so much of a second thought.

  “Nothing.” I stepped towards her and when my body made contact with hers I could feel the tension and I pulled her into me.

  “Don’t say it was nothing, what happened? You wouldn’t have been fighting if it was nothing and you heard him. He’s not going to forget about this.”

  “Let me worry about that?”

  “So you want me to just pretend that none of this happened?”

  “Didn't I just say let me worry about that.” I kissed her on the forehead and then locked the main door. “Come on.” I stepped behind her and guided her towards my bedroom with my hands on her waist. I could tell that she wasn't over it but she also wasn't going to press the issue. At least not right now.

  After brushing my teeth and feeling like I was going to puke again I settled on Gatorade and water while Ky ate a frozen pizza that probably belonged to Chaz and we translation Ky picked a movie on Netflix for us to watch.

  “You know you're killing me right? You know every line and every scene by heart so why are we watching this again?” I asked but I already knew the answer. Her favorite movies were always in the lineup Love and basketball, Brown Sugar, Best Man and newly added Best Man Holiday. Not to exclude Love Jones and Just Right pending the mood. I really didn't get how she could watch each one a million times and it would mean just as much as it did the very first time she had ever seen them. I guess that's a girl thing because Leigh was the same way.

  “It’s a classic, do you even need to ask.”

  “You’re killing me Ky.”

  “Sucks for you.” She said and smiled before she tossed the jeans that she had just removed onto the floor next to her bag, pulled a pair of lime green boxers out of it and then stepped into them.

  “I'm the one that's sick shouldn't I get a vote on what we watch?”

  “You said and quote ‘I'm good’ so therefore you lost your right to play the sick card. You can do what you want but I'm watching Brown Sugar. I just suffered through two hours of basketball so Sport Center is a no go.”

  “So you suffered watching me play? I see how it is.”

  She laughed “I wouldn’t exactly say suffered but my quota for basketball has been filled for the night.”

  “I see how it is.”

  ------

  I woke up to the sound of Kya’s phone vibrating on my desk. It would vibrate for a minute, stop and immediately start back so I figured something was wrong. I gently pulled my body away from hers, climbed over her and picked up her phone but the second I did mine started flashing with no sound since it was on silent. I checked Ky’s phone and she had 5 missed calls from Toni. I picked up my phone off my desk.

  “She’s sleep Toni, what’s up?”

  “Can I come up there?” her voice was shaky and I wasn’t sure but she sounded like she was crying now or had recently been.

  “Are you okay? Where are you?”

  “I’m in Ethan’s room? Can I come up there?”

  “Yeah, I’ll unlock the door, where is he?”

  “He’s not here.”

  “What’s wrong, did something happen? Are you okay?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  She hung up without giving me an answer, so I unlocked my bedroom door, stepped into the living room which was completely dark aside from the glow of the DVD player. As soon as I unlocked the door I heard the handle and then Toni stepped inside so I flipped on the living room light. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tshirt. She dropped her bag on the floor next to the door, walked over to the sofa, sat down in the corner and pulled her knees into her chest. She looked upset and I could tell that she had been crying.

  “Where’s Ky?”

  “I didn’t wake her up. What’s going on?”

  “Will you get her please?”

  “Are you okay, did something happen?” Ethan was my boy but if he had done anything out of the way it was going to be a problem.

  “I just need to talk to Ky, will you please get her?”

  “I will but tell me what’s going on? Did Ethan do something? Where did he go?”

  She started crying silently but the tears began rolling out with force.

  “Toni, tell me what’s going on.”

  “I messed up?”

  “Messed up how?”

  “Ant?”

  “Please tell me you’re not still dealing with him.” Damn here we go I'm exactly where I did not want to be stuck in the middle of some bullshit.

  “I'm not.” She almost yelled. I glanced at my bedroom door half expecting to see Ky even though I knew that she could sleep through a national disaster.

  “What's the problem then?”

  “He's been texting and calling me and Ethan just found out.”

  “So he's been texting and calling you but you haven't been responding?” Come on now.

  “I was but I haven't been but he kept blowing up my phone tonight so Ethan got pissed and asked to see m
y phone and I had old messages in there and…”

  She started crying again, “And what? He didn't put his hands on you did he?” Please let your answer be no!

  “No! He just got dressed grabbed his keys and left. He wouldn't let me explain, he just left.”

  “Do you blame him?”

  “You of all people have no room to judge.” She cut her eyes at me.

  “I'm not but this is not about what I think. Let me see.”

  “See what?”

  “The messages.”

  She unlocked her phone scrolled through it and then handed it to me. She had ignored most of the recent messages but there were a lot that she had responded to during a time that I know for sure that her and Ethan were kicking it pretty strong. Hell I see why he got pissed. I would have too. She had clearly crossed a line with Ant that shouldn't have been crossed if she was trying to get serious with Ethan.

  “Damn Toni, this is exactly why I didn't want you two together. Now I'm stuck right in the middle of this mess.”

  “You know what forget it. Just wake Ky up and I'll take her car home and you can bring her tomorrow. She stood up and snatched her phone from my hand. I didn’t want to wake Ky up because I knew that the two of them would immediately be on mission to get out of here back to their dorm to speak in private about the situation and I wasn’t about to have that argument with either of them about leaving so late.

  “Chill out. That's why you’re in this mess. Making stupid decisions.”

  “I didn't do anything stupid.” I could tell she was angry “I didn't cheat on him. So what I sent a few messages to an ex. I know he's not 100% innocent either.”

  “No matter what he's done or hasn't done the most important thing is that he kept it away from you. You can guess all you want but no girls are blowing up his phone at 3:00 in the morning so yeah you did something stupid.”

  She fell back into the corner of the sofa, pulled her legs into her chest again and dropped her head on her knees.

  “Look he has the right to be angry. You can't expect him not to be.”

  She sat silently so I kept talking “What do you wanna do?”

  “I wanna fix it.” She said muffled by the fact that she still had her head down.

  “Are you done with that dude?”

  “Yes I have been for a while.” She looked at me this time as if it would confirm her answer.

  “I’ll talk to him but don't make me regret it.”

  “I won't, I swear all I want is Ethan.”

  “You know I got you but Ethan is my boy too and I don't like having to make a choice so you better be sure you really want this.”

  “Zay I promise. I do.”

  I'll be right back I went back in my room to get my phone, Ky of course was still sleep. I called Ethan several times but the calls went straight to voicemail so either his phone was off or he knew I was calling about Toni and didn't want to deal. I knew that Ethan still crept a little mostly with Shaunie but that was his business, I just made it clear to keep me out of it and to respect Toni enough to keep it away from her and we'd be cool. I guess we'll deal with this tomorrow.

  I opened my closet, grabbed the blanket that Ky left in my room, a pillow of my bed and went back into the living room.

  “Here.” I handed Toni the blanket and pillow. ”He didn't answer. It's late so just chill here and I'll talk to him tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You want that light off?”

  “Yeah and Zay I know you don't believe me but I really am serious about Ethan.”

  “I hope so. Don't stress I'm sure it will be fine. He's just mad right now.”

  Toni balled the pillow up under her head and cover her body with the blanket. I turned the light off and left her there. I thought about how I pissed I would have been if that had been me and Ky. I know I wouldn't have the right to have any type of feelings about it after all the situations that I had forced on her but I knew that I still would have lost it just like Ethan did. It's funny how that double standard works.

  Chapter 22

  Kya Renee

  “You’ve been in bed all day. Come go to the café with me.” I sat on the edge of Toni’s bed that she had been in since we had gotten home early this morning.

  “I don’t really feel like it.”

  “Come on Tee, you need to get up.”

  “You can go, I don’t wanna go anywhere.” She was lying in fetus positon on her bed hugging an oversized teddy bear. Aside from a shower and a few trips to the bathroom, she had basically been in the same place all day.

  I kicked off my shoes and laid down on my back next to her. “So you wanna talk about it?”

  “What’s there to talk about? I just basically ruined my relationship and for what?”

  “Don’t say that. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  She sat up, crossed her legs and sat the bear in her lap before she locked her arms around it and lowered her chin on its head.

  “Ky, he was so mad. You didn’t see him. The way he looked at me.”

  “You have to understand why, but I bet he was more hurt than mad and once the hurt fades he’ll be okay. It’s not over. It can’t be.”

  “But I didn’t even do really do anything. Yeah I sent text and made some calls but I haven’t been with him. He just wouldn’t let me explain. He looked at me with so much hate Ky. He said he was done.”

  “Take it from someone who has been where he is, it hurts but you get over it. It just takes time.”

  She gave me the saddest look and for the first time in a really long time, I knew and I mean I really knew that she really cared about someone. Ethan had somehow managed to break her down and steal her heart. Toni never really was the kind to get all emotional about any guy but when she did, look out. She was in deep and I could tell that she had it bad for Ethan. I sat up, scooted next to her and laid my head on her shoulder.

  “We will fix this. I promise.”

  “You can’t promise that but thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

  “I can promise that. I don’t know how but we will fix this or I’ll use my ninja skills to take out every girl that he was every interested in so that you’re the only option he has left.”

  “I hope that’s not supposed to make me feel better.” Toni laughed.

  “Well duh. I told you that I was going to fix it one way or another. You cannot criticize my methods.”

  “I love Ky.”

  “If you do then you will go to the café with me so that I won’t starve to death because all we have to eat is yogurt and easy mac.”

  “That will work just don’t mix them together.”

  “Get dressed.”

  Toni and I made it to the café had dinner headed back to the dorms and then set up in my room to watch Netflix. We had birthday cake ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, M & M’s, popcorn and Doritos. A lethal mixed reserved for relationship issues that Toni and I had formulated years ago. The movies changed pending the situations but our routine was pretty predictable. Eat until we were on the cusp of throwing up while we recited every line of a move that we had seen a million and one times. Tonight we had Love Jones on deck, the perfect mix of dysfunctional relationships with happy endings. I had my favorite fleece turtle blanket while Toni snuggled under the royal blue UNCG blanket that she had stolen from Ethan’s dorm room. We started the movie and settled in for our girl’s night. Halfway through the movie Toni randomly spoke, “I miss him Ky.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I mean not like miss being around him but I miss him.”

  I completely understood what she meant. “You miss that connections because you feel like is gone right? It kind of makes you feel out of place.”

  “Exactly, it’s like I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m used to thinking about him all day and talking to him and that feeling that I know I’m going to see him soon. It just feels weird.”

  “I know.” And by do I
know, I have had that feeling too many times before

  “It’s going to be okay. He just needs a minute.”

  “But what if he never gets over it.”

  “He will, you really didn’t do anything that terrible.”

  “As far as he’s concerned I did.”

  “You made a stupid decision. You’re not perfect and neither is he. He knows that. He’s just hurt right now but that’s a good sign. It proves that he really cares because if he didn’t care he would have been like ‘its whatever’ but at least you know you matter.”

  “Yeah great, I know that he cares and I hurt him and he might never get over it. What good is that going to do me?”

  “Tee, don’t think like that. It’s just a bump in the road. Not the end of the road.”

  She laid on her side, pulled her knees into her chest and held on to her bear for dear life. It was dark but I could see her face from the light of the TV enough to know that the tears were falling again. I didn’t say another word because I knew that there wasn’t anything that I could say to make her feel better. I just moved close to her so that she knew I was there .She had done the same for me too many times before. It was our thing, it was us.

  -----

  When my alarm went off it scared me so I jumped up. Toni was still asleep balled up in Ethan’s UNCG blanket hugging her bear. My alarm apparently didn’t faze her because she didn’t budge. I crawled to the end of her bed, slid off of it and collected all of our trash from our girl’s night. I dumped the dishes in the sink before I went into my bathroom and turned on my shower. After a few minutes the bathroom was filled with steam so I grabbed a towel, shut the door and stepped in. The water was so hot that it burned my skin but it felt good. I hadn’t heard from Xavier other than him telling me that he hadn’t talked to Ethan about Toni yet and him reminding me that Leigh’s all-star game was this weekend. Man I need this situation to get fixed and ASAP.

  I stepped out of my bathroom and caught a chill. My room felt so much colder after having been under that steaming hot water so I dressed quickly. When I was done I checked my image in the full length mirror on the back of my door to make sure everything was on point. Charcoal leggings, Navy Chucks, and AE hoodie. I picked up my phone to check the weather crap high of 52 today I opened my closet and searched for a hat and settled on a navy and gray knitted one and then found the matching scarf before I shut my closet door.